Considered the Beverly Hills of Northern California, St. Helena offers a potpourri of experiences on and beyond its long stretch of Highway 29. The small city is sandwiched between Rutherford and Calistoga and touts some of wine country’s ultra-luxurious shops, wineries, and restaurants.
St. Helena’s charms include more casual stomping grounds such as Ana’s Cantina and the affordable El Bonita Motel. Its community-based Cameo Cinema is a legendary stop for visitors who want to relax between wine tastings and dining to take in a show, and it’s where Francis Ford-Coppola may drop by for a post-Coppola film Q&A with the audience.
WHERE TO STAY
In a spot perfect for meditative retreats, Harvest Inn sits nestled amid 300 redwood trees from its Highway 29 entrance. It’s hard to imagine 81 rooms behind that turn off the highway, but vineyard and botanical visual treats are everywhere for guests to enjoy from sunrise to sunset. Spiral brick pillars mark the sign of an inspired brick mason; it’s easy to understand why this property won first place as “Best Boutique Hotel” in Napa Valley Life Magazine’s Best of Napa issue. // www.harvestinn.com
Photo courtesy of The Harvest Inn
One of Napa Valley’s most exclusive resorts is off the Silverado Trail leading to Meadowood, a Relais and Chateaux property. This is where A-list celebrities and resort members escape for golf, tennis, spa time, or to relax at the pool or on the deck at one of 36 suites and rooms amidst the wooded estate. The rooms offer state-of-the-art touches, such as a desk with a hidden television that rises with a touch of a remote control, and its cozy home comforts include a gas fireplace and a soaking tub. A wine education class with Kelli White, author of Napa Valley Then & Now, is meant to inform guests to better appreciate wine-tasting experiences and to feel less intimidated. Sessions conclude with a blind tasting as the final test. // www.meadowood.com
The Ink House // Photo by Alexander Rubin
The Ink House, recently restored by Jean-Charles Boisset and his wife, Gina Gallo-Boisset, unveils a new style of luxury accommodation that exemplifies the couple’s personal touch and charm. Guests at the historic inn are treated to exquisitely appointed ensuite bedrooms, bespoke wine tastings, spectacular meals prepared by a private chef, and relaxed evenings in the library or the speakeasy while playing a game of billiards or grooving to the piano once played by Elvis. // www.inkhousenapavalley.com
WHERE TO WINE
In the 1800s, Prussian immigrant Charles Krug opened California’s first public tasting room. By 1943, Robert and Peter Mondavi’s parents purchased the 147-acre estate. By 1963, the Charles Krug winery introduced imported French oak for barrel-aging red wine in the Napa Valley. Bordeaux varietals were planted in 2008, and today, Charles Krug, a Peter Mondavi, Sr. Family Estate, is run by Peter Mondavi, Jr. and Marc C. Mondavi. Its production of outstanding wines includes a 2022 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc— a quintessential expression of this grassy, citrusy St. Helena grape. // www.charleskrug.com
Charles Krug Tasting Room // Photo courtesy of St. Helena Chamber of Commerce
Merryvale Vineyards celebrates 40 years this year through a national series of events outside its regular food partnerships with Pizzeria Tra Vigne and Gott’s. New to the scene is Winemaker Andrew Wright, whose experience hails from working with Bill Harlan at BOND and Promontory. His mission is to elevate the wines with a sharp focus on Bordeaux varietals. In response to the diverse vineyards sourced, Wright said, “It’s like a candy store in terms of soil assortment.” A visit to this St. Helena winery wouldn’t be complete without a glimpse inside its historic Cask Room and a taste of Profile, a proprietary red blend. // www.merryvale.com
Merryvale Winery // Photo courtesy of St. Helena Chamber of Commerce
Winemaker Matt Sands produces Lithology Wines on Meadowood Lane, including a rated 100-point 2018 Beckstoffer/To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery’s name is a nod to a term used to describe rock characteristics, an essential factor in determining vineyard sites that make standout wines, such as the 2019 Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon. French-American winemaker Philippe Melka and French celebrity wine consultant Michel Rolland work with Sands to create Lithology’s great blends. // www.lithology.wine
When Sarah Esther Chase married William Bowers Bourn, they purchased a vineyard off the beaten path at the foot of the Mayacamas. The year was 1872, and this is where CHASE Cellars and its Hayne vineyard remain. Thanks to its gravelly soil, CHASE produces a small production of powerful yet balanced wines of elegance. By appointment, guests can take a casual seat by the olive groves to taste a flight of these remarkable wines, including a 2019 Bourn Gold Strike blend of Syrah, Merlot, and Zinfandel with complex characteristics made possible by harvesting its heritage Zinfandel grapes. // www.chasecellars.com
At Raymond Vineyards on Zinfandel Lane, guests experience a feast for the senses with an eclectic array of tasting experiences. After navigating the playful props on the grounds, guests may book a tasting in the opulent Crystal Cellar, the evocative Red Room, or opt to channel their inner master blender for a day in the Blending Room— lab coat included for effect. Everyone who signs up for this winery experience leaves with a complimentary bottle or a purchased case of the blended masterpiece, custom labeled. // www.raymondvineyards.com
WHERE TO DINE
Hidden just beyond Harvest Inn’s lobby and bar is Harvest Table, a restaurant worthy of a seat at the table to taste Executive Chef Jeff Libunao’s creative cuisine. Be sure to order a breakfast of mixed mushrooms with black garlic aioli and soft herbed cheese topped with a poached egg and saba dressing. Dinner menu musts include a starter of burrata and roasted grapes with crushed pecans on top, followed by a beet and citrus salad with tres leches Manchego and roasted shallots. // www.harvesttablenapa.com
Dining on the patio at Harvest Table // Photo courtesy of Harvest Inn
Forum is Meadowood’s luxury tented temporary restaurant and meeting place for guests to enjoy meals while the property is being rebuilt following the 2020 fire casualty, its Michelin-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood. Sit at the bar, outside on the patio, or inside to enjoy Old World and New World wine selections to pair with lobster bisque, scallops, fried chicken dishes, and more. Breakfast is a full menu that includes a delicious Dungeness crab eggs benedict. // www.meadowood.com/dining
For a casual lunch, dinner, or brunch, Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch offers farm-to-table American farmhouse cuisine showcasing fresh ingredients harvested from their farm ranch and vineyards. The property hosts a full-service restaurant with seating inside and out, an outdoor café, and a general store. // www.longmeadowranch.com
WHERE TO SHOP
Enjoy a daylong excursion shopping for treasures amongst the myriad of shops along St. Helena’s Main Street. From unique clothing boutiques such as Pearl Wonderful Clothing, fine jewelry stores such as Padis Jewelry, home accessories from Acres Home & Garden or Carter and Co., or art from Gregory Lang Gallery, the choices are many. Fuel up with a hearty breakfast at Gillwoods Café, or grab lunch at W. J. Guigni Grocery Co. and Deli or The Model Bakery.
Shopping in St. Helena // Photo by Mike Larson
